The Gentleman Loser

Blair Had to Talk Bush out of Boming Al-Jazeera

2005-11-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

LONDON (Nov. 22) - A civil servant has been charged under Britain's Official Secrets Act for allegedly leaking a government memo that a newspaper said Tuesday suggested that Prime Minister Tony Blair persuaded President Bush not to bomb the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera.

Supreme Fuck Up

2005-10-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Things are going from bad to worse for Bush's wayward Supreme Court Justice nominee, Harriet Miers. This story was broken in yesterday's (Sunday October 24) editition of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Texas Paid Miers 10 Times the Value of Dallas Property
Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers collected more than 10 times the market value of a small piece of land in a Dallas Superfund cleanup site. The windfall came in 2000 after a judge who received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Miers' law firm appointed a close professional associate of Miers to the three-person panel that determined how much the state should pay. The panel recommended a $106,915 payment, which the state objected to as excessive.

You can read the full story at the Star Telegram's website here.

I sent this off as an anonymous tip to the right-wing online 'journalist' Matt Drudge, it will be interesting to see if he puts it up on his site.

This is a further blow to Miers, after it was reported that she did not have enough votes to pass the Senate Judicial Committee confirmation hearing.

Republicans, Mexicans and Hebrews, Oh My!- Part I

2005-08-11T12:57:00.000-07:00

Media Racism and the Language of Prejudice

After spending most of the morning packing to move, I decided to drop-in to my neighborhood corner store for 40 ounces of cool refreshment. On my way out the door, I noticed many of the daily newspapers running headlines proclaiming that whites were now in the minority in Texas. This is misleading on several levels. Lets look at the word minority itself:
mi·nor·i·ty - (m-nôr-t, -nr-, m-)
n. pl. mi·nor·i·ties
1. a) The smaller in number of two groups forming a whole.
b) A group or party having fewer than a controlling number of votes.

2. a) An ethnic, racial, religious, or other group having a distinctive presence within a society.
b) A group having little power or representation relative to other groups within a society.
c) A member of one of these groups. See Usage Note at color
3. Law. The state or period of being under legal age: still in her minority.
[Source]

The first definition is false, considering Texas has more than two ethnic groups. This however, is the definition they are using (more on that later). The second and fourth definitions are ridiculously wrong. The third is disqualified on broadness. Having a "distinctive prescence" is applicable to all major ethnic groups and isn't exactly front page news. In fact, the white presence is better described a 'hegemonic' than 'distinctive.' Also, the final two definitions are obviously non-applicable.

You may be asking what possesed respected newspapers to run these headlines? The short answer is racism. They are using the first definition, "The smaller in number of two groups forming a whole." Here, they are dubiously dividing the ethnic make-up of Texas into two groups. The first group is obviously 'white.' What is the second group, you might be asking? The second group is the ridiculous grouping of 'everyone else.'

This distinction is patently racist, as it is the product of the infamous 'us vs. them mentality.' It claims that there are 'whites' and 'everyone-else'. This obviously implies that whiteness is either the normal or desireable state. The term 'non-white' is a highly dubious grouping. It tells us nothing about the people included in the group, other that they probably have a hard time catching a cab and getting a job or loan. The term 'white' itself is largely worthless. It consists mainly of a despicable racist heuristic. As used by the US census, the term includes:

people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicated their race or races as "White" or wrote in entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, Polish, or Iranian. (See also Whites)

[Source]

You may also note that these groups have very little in common with each other. This definition is also highly problematic.

A more contemporary criticism is that many Black people have lived in areas of North Africa associated with Arab and thus considered "white". Mostafa Hefny, an obviously Black Egyptian, is among those whose original ancestors were from North Africa and who is classified as White, despite the obviousness of his Black identity and his socialization as a Black man in America. [Source]

Now, lets look at Texas' demographic make-up. The reason for these headlines is the recent estimate that the white population has (most likely) dropped below the 50% mark. This may seem alarming, until you look at the date from the 2000 census:

White persons, not of Hispanic/Latino origin, percent, 2000

52.4%

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 (b)

32.0%

Black or African American persons, percent, 2000 (a)

11.5%

Asian persons, percent, 2000 (a)

2.7%

American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 (a)

0.6%

[Source]

These are the 2000 findings of the US Census. Since then, it is estimated that whites have dropped below the 50% line. Even so, they are by far the dominant racial grouping in Texas based on numbers alone. In political power, the discrepency is more apparent. Our government is overwhelmingly white. A vast number of hispanics are ineligible to vote, and the turnout of the black vote is far lower than whites.

Why then, is the news media acting like we are being now being overwhelmed by some foreign group? The answer is racism. The terms used in these stories are both racist and anarchronistic. They do not further any dialogue, being largely meaningless. Take for example the recent internet headline: Texas Becomes a Majority-Minority State.

What the fuck is a majority-minority state? The term is empty filler, completely void of meaning. It is logically contradictory. It either means that:
a.) Texas has both a majority and a minority, like every other fucking state that ever existed
b.) That minorities are now the majority in Texas

It is obvious they are referring to the latter, using the '50% definition' of minority. This flies in the face of reason. Minority and majority are polar oppisites, one obviously cannot be the other. If whites dropping below the 50% line puts them in the 'minority,' then obviously every other grouping is a minority since they are much farther below the 50% mark. The logical conclusion of their argument is: Texas is now all minorities, since no group has a population greater than 50% of the state total. This is again contradictory as minority cannot mean majority. The only way their logic works, is if they use 'minority' as meaning 'non-white,' which is both semantically incorrect and racist.

This is the first of three installments of this article. In the next, we will examine the hidden racial history of Texas and what it means today. Finally, we will examine the effect of these demographic changes on our political process.

Just One Link

2005-08-08T00:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone should check this out. It ties in to something I am working on for tomorrow.

99 Ways to Die

2005-08-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how you are probably going to die? I did, until I got this handy chart from LiveScience.com. If pondering your own mortality gets you down, you can ponder that of others. Is it really a suprise that at least one of the people we went to high school with is actually gonna die of "falling down?"

Cause of Death	Lifetime Odds
Heart Disease	1-in-5
Cancer	1-in-7
Stroke	1-in-23
Accidental Injury	1-in-36
Motor Vehicle Accident*	1-in-100
Intentional Self-harm (suicide)	1-in-121
Falling Down	1-in-246
Assault by Firearm	1-in-325
Fire or Smoke	1-in-1,116
Natural Forces (heat, cold, storms, quakes, etc.)	1-in-3,357
Electrocution*	1-in-5,000
Drowning	1-in-8,942
Air Travel Accident*	1-in-20,000
Flood* (included also in Natural Forces above)	1-in-30,000
Legal Execution	1-in-58,618
Tornado* (included also in Natural Forces above)	1-in-60,000
Lightning Strike (included also in Natural Forces above)	1-in-83,930
Snake, Bee or other Venomous Bite or Sting*	1-in-100,000
Earthquake (included also in Natural Forces above)	1-in-131,890
Dog Attack	1-in-147,717
Asteroid Impact*	1-in-200,000**
Tsunami*	1-in-500,000
Fireworks Discharge	1-in-615,488

** Perhaps 1-in-500,000

Great Moments in Tweaker Engineering

2005-07-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tweaker Space Program set to Reach for the Sky

Despite several other unsavory characteristics, tweakers have a somewhat well deserved reputation for a willingness to work with their hands. For these, there is no project that is too outlandish, time-consuming, or tedious. It is in this spirit, that we are proud to update you on the status of the tweaker space program.

On June 24, 2005, Missouri State Highway Patrol pulled over a 1990 Ford Thunderbird driving down Interstate 70. Both driver and passenger ditched the vehicle, but were captured shortly thereafter with small amounts of methamphetamine on their person. After searching the car, officers found $13,500 under the passenger seat of the vehicle.

It was then the officers discovered a truly great acheivement in the history of tweaker engineering. In the trunk of the car, officers found a model rocket completely filled with methamphetamines. It was attaced to "an elaborate system of ropes and pulleys" which lifted the rocket into firing position when the trunk was opened from the inside of the car (US Attorney).

The rocket ignition was connected by wires to the car's cigarette lighter. This allowed the entire apparatus to be lifted from a prone to launch position, and fired from inside of the car. If the suspects hadn't panicked, presumably the situation would have unfolded like this:

1. Police pull over the Ford Thunderbird mobile speedlauncher.

2. Our two brave crankstronauts, Michael Sullivan and Joseph Seidl, would pull the trunk latch. This would open the launch bay and raise the meth rocket in launch position.

3. From inside mission control, the cab of the Thunderbird, Sullivan would press in on the cigarette lighter which would ignite the rocket engine.

4. The rocket would leave the trunk, bravely sending the prescious cargo where no crank has gone before.

We can only speculate what might had occured if the Deep Speed probe had actually been deployed. We do know that officers found over $150, 000 worth of methamphetamine in the vehicle. I wonder what the penalty would be if the rocket misfired and killed one of the State Troopers? I bet it would border on the severe. Unfortunately, the world may never know. We can only hope that this will not mark the end of deep speed rocket exploration.

June Science Roundup Part I

2005-06-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

The horror, the horror.....

Well, since it has been a completely random amount of time since the last science roundup, I figured we must be a little past due, like much else in life. Enjoy.

Marijuana-like Chemical in Brain: The reason while people can run away after getting shot.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkley have discovered that endocannabinoids, the naturally occuring marijuana-like chemicals in our brain, are responsible for the long documented ability of humans to suspend their natural pain response in times of injury or great stress. This is what allows people (and other mammals) to run for great distances after receiving otherwise traumatic gunshot wounds.

"This study shows for the first time that natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain have a link to pain suppression," researcher Daniele Piomelli, a professor of pharmacology and director of the Center for Drug Discovery at the UCI School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

For more information click here.

Scientist Create Zombie Hell-Dogs: Humans are Next

In a stunning victory for mad scientist everywhere researchers in Pittsburgh have suceeded in killing dogs, only to bring that back to life up to three hours later. They have accomplished this by draining the animals blood and replacing it with a frozen salt solution. The zombie dogs have been kept in this state for up to three hours without brain or heart activity before their blood is replaced and they are brought back to life through an electric shock. As you can tell by the photgraph, the animals absolutely love this. Research has shown that following the procedure the animals are completely normal and without brain damage, until they decide to take us out Pet Semetary style. Human zombification is currently in the works.

For more on this story click here.

Saga of a 'Runaway Idiot'

2005-06-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Remember Jennifer Wilbanks, the Runaway Bride, AKA something awful's missing white girl of the month?. After getting paid half a million dollars to write a book about her magical journey, details are starting to appear about the whole sorry trip. What caused her to do all this you might be asking. Was it cold-feat, second thoughts, a torrid live affair? Nope. It turns out she is one stupid fucking whore.

Recently, investigation reports of her FBI interrogation have become public. "The reports portrayed the 32-year-old nurse as a naive woman whose mother did her banking for her." Right on, nothing weird there. But what made her decide to fake her own kidnapping?

Quoth the AP Report-

Agents said in the report that Wilbanks "was scared to marry (fiance) John Mason because she is afraid of an imperfect world. Wilbanks stated that she could not be the wife that her fiance John Mason needed. Wilbanks wanted to disappear without a trace."

The report from Georgia investigators said she broke off an earlier engagement to another man, and — even though she had been in a relationship with Mason since August 2004 — she kept "I love you" text messages on her cell phone from another man she dated in 2003.

Sounds like a mature, decisive, well-rounded individual to me. With reaons like that, I bet she had one sure-fire master plan for escaping.

Wilbanks originally wanted to flee to Austin after seeing McConaughey on TV, the FBI report said. After doing research on the Internet, she "thought it looked like a nice place to visit because of Austin's ranches and national parks," the report said.

This is why women shouldn't vote. Just kidding. Seriously, what kind of plan is that? I've never seen any ranches and national parks in Austin and a couple of times when I visited Austin I wasn't even stoned. That why real estate is so expensive in Austin, there must be a big ol' national park somewhere right in the fucking middle of it. Stupid cunt.

Because her mother did her banking for her, Wilbanks scraped together a little more than $240 for her journey in a various ways, the report said.

Thats where I want to be at 32. But I digress....

"Wilbanks realized during her travel on Greyhound that the Greyhound bus traveled to really rough areas for their bus stations," the FBI agents wrote.

After eating a meal during a stop in Dallas, she felt safer to be on the bus, the report said. She had no lodging arrangements in Austin and "was scared it may stop in a bad area," the report said, so she spent $107 of her money to continue on to Las Vegas.

That makes since. Austin is a little too seedy, better head to Vegas. Come of clean living and good people.

She tried to get a room at three different hotels near the bus station in Las Vegas but they were all too expensive.

She told investigators that she then remembered a street full of hotels in Albuquerque, a city the bus had passed through on the way to Las Vegas. With only about $80 left, she bought a $76 ticket to Albuquerque.

OK. I realize homegirl is stupid, but what the fuck?!? My two year old cousins are smarter than that. I realize mommy has done the banking for the last 3 decades, but are really that fucking retarded? Unless your rich as fuck I'm starting to lose my sympathy for whatever asswipe thought he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.

Lets walk through this a little. You get to Vegas, and try the three hotels closest to the bus station are too expensive. Well they don't need to be that competitive next to a bus station. What are you gonna do, drive across town to the Holiday Inn? You took da' bus, you take what you get.

So what now for our bold heroine? Well, she told investigators she remembered a whole "street full" of hotels in Albuquerqu. Albuquerque, New Mexico. Why not go to New Mexico when you've already checked out all three hotels in Las Vegas? The rest of Nevada doesn't have any hotels anyway, they're Mormons.

So Sacagawea here decides it makes more sense to take a bus to another state rather than walk down the street and find another hotel. Never mind you have to spend $76 of the remaining $80 you have left. Albuquerque is in New Mexico. You can get a shitload of pesos for $4.

Wilbanks arrived the next day. She asked a taxi driver to take her to a hotel where she had a travel coupon advertising rooms for $19.99. However, she only had enough money to pay for a taxi ride for part of the way. Out of money, she finally called her fiance collect.

You know what, maybe it is better your mother does your banking for you. Even at 32. A lot of people have blamed poor Jennifer for all the time and money wasted looking for her. I don't. I blame the fiancee and parents. They knew this bitch wasn't worth looking for.

8 Tons of Pot Seized in Texas Truck Bust

2005-06-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

A Star Telegram story, from the NORML website:

FALFURRIAS, Texas - Federal agents found more than 8 tons of marijuana valued at almost $14 million in a truckload of fruit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Friday.

The seizure occurred about 6 a.m. Thursday at a Border Patrol checkpoint about 75 miles north of the Texas-Mexico border.

Drug-sniffing dogs alerted agents to a tractor-trailer hauling cantaloupes and bananas. Agents found 542 bundles of marijuana weighing 17,297 pounds and valued at $13.8 million dollars.

The driver, a 36-year-old from Mission, Texas, was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration out of Corpus Christi.

[Source]

Iraqi Reality Show Stars Insurgents

2005-06-02T23:19:00.000-07:00

From the Washington Post:

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's hottest new television program is a reality show. But the players are not there by choice. And they don't win big bucks, a new spouse or a dream job.

Instead, all the characters on "Terrorism in the Hands of Justice" are captured suspected insurgents. And for more than a month, they have been riveting viewers with tales of how they killed, kidnapped, raped or beheaded other Iraqis, usually for a few hundred dollars per victim.

Seated before an Iraqi flag, the dejected and cowed prisoners answer questions from an off-camera inquisitor who mocks their behavior. Some sport bruised faces and black eyes. Far from appearing to be confident heroes battling U.S. occupation, they come across as gangsters.

"I watch the show every night, and I wait for it patiently, because it is very revealing," said Abdul Kareem Abdulla, 42, a Baghdad shop owner. "For the first time, we saw those who claim to be jihadists as simple $50 murderers who would do everything in the name of Islam. Our religion is too lofty, noble and humane to have such thugs and killers. I wish they would hang them now, and in the same place where they did their crimes. They should never be given any mercy."

Broadcast on al-Iraqiya, the state-run network set up by the U.S. occupation authority in 2003, "Terrorism in the Hands of Justice" has become one of most effective arrows in the government's counterinsurgency propaganda quiver.

"It has shown the Iraqi people the reality of those insurgents, [that] they are criminals, killers, murderers, thieves," Interior Minister Falah Naqib said last week.

Sabah Kadhim, an Interior Ministry spokesman, added, "The last few weeks have been incredible in terms of tips coming in from the public."

Officials launched the program, Kadhim said, after realizing that Iraqis did not believe that insurgents were being arrested. "Talking to people in the street, they say, 'Is it really true? . . . Why don't you show it?' " he recalled. "The demand for this came from the people."

The bruised faces and the death of at least one prisoner after his appearance on the show have raised questions about the men's treatment in custody. Kadhim denied the prisoners were being abused. "There is absolutely no motive for us to torture them," he said.

In recent reports, the State Department and Human Rights Watch have criticized the use of torture by Iraqi police.

"In light of our recent findings about the prevalence of torture in Iraqi prisons," said Joe Stork, a Washington-based spokesman for Human Rights Watch, "we have serious concerns that these confessions were not also coerced and that the Iraqi authorities failed to provide essential due process protections."

"Televised confessions are almost always suspect," Stork added. "Recent examples in Iran and Saudi Arabia clearly involved a high level of coercion and degrading treatment."

Such concerns have not dimmed the program's popularity.

"We had not planned for the tapes, but suddenly we had what you might call a scoop," said al-Iraqiya's Baghdad station director, Ahmed Yasseri. As a result, he said, "we have overtaken the other stations. These tapes have captured the attention of Iraqis."

For the full story go [here]

Wearing Red Increases Chances of Winning in Sports

2005-06-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

British scientist have determined that there is a real correlation between wearing red and winning in competitive sports. The story below:

If winning is everything, British anthropologists have some advice: Wear red.

Their survey of four sports at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens shows competitors were more likely to win their contests if they wore red uniforms or red body armor.

"Across a range of sports, we find that wearing red is consistently associated with a higher probability of winning," report Russell A. Hill and Robert A. Barton of the University of Durham in England. Their findings are in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

Red coloration is associated with aggression in many animals. Often it is sexually selected so that scarlet markings signal male dominance.

Just think of the red stripes on the scowling face of the male Mandrill, Africa's largest monkey species. But red is not exclusively a male trait. It's the female black widow spider that is venomous and displays a menacing red dot on her abdomen.

Similarly, the color's effect also may subconsciously intimidate opponents in athletic contests, especially when the athletes are equal in skill and strength, the researchers suggest.

Scientists don't precisely known how wearing red might give athletes an advantage. But the color delivers implicit messages of vigor and danger. When people get angry, their faces turn red. It's also a reason why stop signs are red. So are most Ferraris.

A case can perhaps be made that most of the recent winners of U.S. sports championships have at least a touch of red on their uniforms: among pro teams, the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, the Detroit Pistons. And in college sports, the USC Trojans.

But it's the gracious sport of golf that offers the best example. Tiger Woods wears an iconic red shirt on Sundays, the day when most tournaments are won.

Besides the Olympic examples cited above, they have also started researching the Euro 2004 international soccer tournament. It seems likely to support the above conclusions.

[Source]

Mexico City Mayor Update

2005-04-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Something we reported on ealier. This is becoming active again, and is very important. Early reports from the BBC are reporting this morning that President Vicente Fox has fired that country's Attourney General over the controversy stemming from the legal battle over Mexico City's popular leftist mayor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. It is widely believe that the action against Mr. Obrador is an attempt to disqualify him from runnig in the 2006 Mexican Presidential Election. According to the polls Mr. Obrador leads the incumbant party PAN canidate by a comfortable margin. Mr. Fox represents the PAN, a coalition of conservative land owners. Mr. Obrador is a member of the PRD, the Party of the Democratic Revolution.

More as this develops....

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets to support embattled Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and protest a legal case that could prevent him from running in the 2006 presidential election.

Blaming politics for his legal troubles, Lopez Obrador defied prosecutors and told the massive crowd that he would return to work as Mexico City mayor.

"Tomorrow (Monday) I return to work in my office," he told supporters jamming Mexico City's central plaza.

Lopez Obrador is one of Mexico's most popular politicians and is ranked by opinion polls ahead of the candidate supported by incumbent President Vicente Fox.

Vicente Fox and his National Action Party (PAN) in next year's presidential poll.

Lopez Obrador was forced out of his job after Congress stripped his parliamentary immunity on April 7 to face prosecution for defying a court order when he condemned private land to build a public road.

The populist mayor claims the move was to stop him running in next year's presidential elections.

Supporters hoisted placards saying "Fighting for Hope," and "Lopez Obrador: 2006." The march was also supported by lawmakers of the mayor's own Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD).

Mexico City's Zocalo plaza, with a capacity for 150,000, was jammed. Protest organizers said 1.2 million people jammed into the square's adjoining streets to join the "March of Silence." Federal officials however said that the crowds numbered 120,000.

Lopez Obrador had difficulty reaching the podium because of the massive crowd. Several other leaders of his party were unable to follow him to the front of the demonstration.

Politicians of Mexico's two main parties, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and Fox's PAN voted to strip Lopez Obrador's immunity so that he could be prosecuted for disobeying the court order.

If prosecuted, under Mexican law Lopez Obrador cannot run for the presidency.

Prosecutors had warned Lopez Obrador to abandon his job as mayor, saying that without immunity he was ineligible to hold the post.

However, whether withdrawing Lopez Obrador's immunity from prosecution automatically ousts him from city hall has been the subject of intense debate among legal scholars and politicians.

"Legally I am still the head of (Mexico City's) Federal District, not only because I was elected democratically, but because I have not been legally indicted," he said.

On Friday, a judge turned down on a technicality a prosecutor's request to arrest Lopez Obrador.

Marchers included groups of wrestlers, indigenous Mexicans, retirees and motorcyclists.

Amid the vast crowd was a large Trojan horse made of wooden boxes and a giant inflatable Pinocchio.

"We came because with this (city) government things have gone better for us, we have better sports facilities and more work," said "The Ghost," one of 20 wrestlers that marched in the crowd.

"We believe that (Lopez Obrador) is concerned with the poorest Mexicans like us, and we do believe that he is innocent," said Rosaura Hernandez, an ethnic Triqui indian from the souteastern state of Oaxaca. She wore colorful traditionanal garb for the protest.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050425/wl_afp/mexicopoliticsmayor_050425050719

Bush's Buddies Calling for Jihad

2005-04-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

Fuck you Matt Drudge, we done scoopd' yo' ass
[by doing the same shit you do, scanning other news sources]

In case you saw Bush kissing and holding hands with Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia near Waco this week, you might be interested on how things are panning out back in the kingdom. Sheik Saleh Al Luhaidan, the chief justice of the Saudi Arabia's Supreme Judicial Council, has been recorded on audio tape during a sermon encouraging Saudis to go to Iraq in order to attack Americans. This man, very close to the royal family (which is very close to our royal family...) , is one of the most influential religious and legal voices the government has to offer.

Our loyal ally, the Saudis, quickly decried the recording as a fraud saying that their intellegence service had deemed the recording a 'crude frake'. Unfortunately Chief Justice Sheik Saleh Al Luhaidan never got that memo, because when he was interviewed by American press, "Luhaidan confirmed those were his words, saying in Arabic, 'Yes, this is my voice.' "

This is not suprising, as last month American reporters discovered many government clerics in the kingdom were preaching Jihad against America. Unfortunatly, these stories have gone largely unreported..... At least we have nice pictures of Bush and Prince Abdullah kissing and holding hands....

Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7347417/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7645118/

Texas A&M Clones Horse

2005-04-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M University announced Wednesday that it had successfully cloned a horse, making the school the first to clone six different species.

Researchers at A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences used adult horse skin cells biopsied from a genetic donor to clone the foal, which was born on March 13. The privately owned foal has been named Paris Texas.

The university partnered with a French company that is dedicated to preserving the genes of exceptional horses.

In December 2003, the school announced it had cloned a white-tailed deer — a fawn named "Dewey." Dewey is believed to be the first successfully cloned deer, said officials at A&M, which has also cloned cattle, goats, pigs and a cat.

The first cloned cat was born at the school on Dec. 22, 2001. Since then the university has cloned several litters of pigs, a Boer goat, a disease-resistant Angus bull, and the first Brahma bull.

Sorry to toot my own schools horn, but couldn't help it after seeing it on the MSNBC page.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7658865/

Whoops, Do you have Splash Day?

2005-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

BUSH ASKS ABOUT 'SPLASH DAY' President Bush raised eyebrows on Tuesday when he asked locals in Galveston, Texas: "Do you still have Splash Day?" "Splash Day" is the annual "adult oriented enormous beach party" celebration on the Gulf Coast. BUSH: Do you still have Splash Day? (LAUGHTER) BUSH: You have to be a baby boomer to know what I'm talking about. (LAUGHTER) BUSH: I'm not saying whether I came or not on Splash Day. I'm just saying, Do you have Splash Day? (LAUGHTER) Bush was unaware "Splash Day" is now a fully gay and lesbian event on the beaches.

Tom Delay, the Bell Tolls for Thee!

2005-04-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in my underwear Sunday reccuperating from my appenectomy and happened to have Fox News on wwhile I was doing homework. I guess I wanted something to take my mind of the pain.... Fox News functions with an elaborate system of rules, IF X THEN Y. For those watching the Fox News coverage of discrace of Texas congressman Tom Delay, you might have noticed some of these rules in action:

1.) IF you are forced to mention the ethics charges against Tom Delay THEN you must assert that tons of Democrats do the same thing and somehow get away with it (do not mention specifics or names)

2.) IF you mention the House Ethics committee THEN you must say the Democrats don't want Delay to be tried there, but only want him in the news (do not mention that the Democrats do want him tried there but the Republicans only will agree to do so if they purge the committee and change the rules)

3.) IF you mention any of the numerous charges against Delay THEN a anchor (not a pundit) must gnash his teeth about how the charges are politcally motivated by Democrats

4.) IF you mention any details of the charges against Delay THEN you must assert that this is really related to the Democrats being a minority party and wanting to put a wrench in the works of government since they have no ideas

5.) IF anyone mentions the three times last year Delay was chastized by the House Ethics committee THEN you must say on the air that this is not true. (Because techinically he was "admonished" not "chastized," but don't mention he was admonished)

You can then imagine how shocked I was this Sunday when Fox appeared to actually break new ethics charges against Delay without following any of the above rules. They were actually doing their journalistic job. This has to be the death knell for Delay. Fox News reported that Delay took a lenghtly trip to Britian which was charged to the credit card of a registered lobbyist. Oh yeah, the lobbyist happens to be at the center of a federal criminal investigation. This is a clear violation of House Ethics rules and Fox News pointed this out, without mentioning Democrats ONCE. Not only that, it is against House Ethics Rules to have overseas trips lasting more than 10 days, since it can cause the appearance of taking a paid vacation. It does not help Tom Delay that his 10 day+ trip was largely spent at the St. Andrew's Golf Resort.
It is time to stop pussy-footing around with these 'ethics violations' and call them by what they reall are, corruption. Hopefully, the fact that Fox News had decided to do their job concerning Delay signals that the rabid right is finnally coming to realize that having Old Man Corruption in their corner is more trouble than its worth. And that is good for America.

Do You Really Want to Know?

2005-04-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

Check out this gem from the NYPOST.

April 14, 2005 -- WHEN U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke Tuesday night at NYU's Vanderbilt Hall, "The room was packed with some 300 students and there were many protesters outside because of Scalia's vitriolic dissent last year in the case that overturned the Texas law against gay sex," our source reports. "One gay student asked whether government had any business enacting and enforcing laws against consensual sodomy. Following Scalia's answer, the student asked a follow-up: 'Do you sodomize your wife?' The audience was shocked, especially since Mrs. Scalia [Maureen] was in attendance. The justice replied that the question was unworthy of an answer.

Alert: Bush sends Secret Service to Investigate Political Art

2005-04-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Feds probe politically charged art exhibit

Secret Service focuses interest on provocative image of Bush

Source: MSNBC

CHICAGO - The Secret Service sent agents to investigate a college art gallery exhibit of mock postage stamps, one depicting President Bush with a gun pointed at his head.

The exhibit, called “Axis of Evil: The Secret History of Sin,” opened last week at Columbia College in Chicago. It features stamps designed by 47 artists addressing issues such as the Roman Catholic sex abuse scandal, racism and the war in Iraq.

None of the artists is tied to the college.

Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur would not say Tuesday whether the inquiry had been completed or whom the Secret Service had interviewed, but he said no artwork had been confiscated.

The investigation began after authorities received a call from a Chicago resident.

“We need to ensure, as best we can, that this is nothing more than artwork with a political statement,” Mazur said.

A question of rights
Two federal agents arrived at the exhibit’s opening night Thursday, took photos of some of the works and asked for the artists’ contact information, said CarolAnn Brown, the gallery’s director.

Brown said the agents were most interested in Chicago artist Al Brandtner’s work titled “Patriot Act,” which depicted a sheet of mock 37-cent red, white and blue stamps showing a handgun pointed at Bush’s head.

Brandtner did not return a call to his design studio Tuesday.

The exhibit’s curator, Michael Hernandez de Luna, said the inquiry “frightens” him.

“It starts questioning all rights, not only my rights or the artists’ rights in this room, but questioning the rights of any artist who creates — any writer, any visual artist, any performance artist. It seems like we’re being watched,” he said.

Last spring, Secret Service agents in Washington state questioned a high school student about antiwar drawings he did for an art class, one of which depicted Bush’s head on a stick.

Generation Y embraces choice, redefines religion

2005-04-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Wetzstein over at the Washington Post (the Moonie paper) wrote this very interesting article about a new study on the religious attitudes of young Americans.

Most young Americans strongly believe in having choices, an attitude that is likely to shape their identification with traditional religions, a study says.

"Generation Y," born between 1980 and 2000, is "bringing [media] industries to their knees" by embracing IPod, TiVo and other technologies that allow unprecedented consumer choice, said Roger Bennett, co-founder of Reboot, a Jewish group that is examining generational issues.

The big question is how traditional religions will respond to a new generation of Americans who value choice, informality and personal expression, he said.

It may mean the rise of "orthodoxy a la carte," where, as with IPods and music, young Americans take a "mix and match" approach to religion, said Bill Galston, a domestic policy adviser in the Clinton administration.

It also could mean an even deeper culture war, said Mr. Galston, as young Americans push their religious pluralism and a backlash emerges from other young Americans who don't want to lose traditional and religious moorings.

Reboot's study, "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era," was released yesterday in a press conference at the Brookings Institution. The study is based on a survey last year of 1,385 persons ages 18 to 25.

To add depth, samples of black, Muslim, Jewish, Asian and Hispanic youths were included, said Anna Greenberg, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a firm known for its work with liberal political groups.

The Reboot study drew on other research, including the General Social Survey and a Greenberg Quinlan Rosner study on "America's Evangelicals," for data on religious characteristics of older generations.

The Reboot study found that 23 percent of Generation Y, like Generation X, do not identify with a religious denomination or don't believe in God. This is more than twice the number of nonbelievers among baby boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1965, Ms. Greenberg noted. Generation X was born between 1966 and 1979.

Twenty-six percent of young Americans call themselves Protestants, but the survey showed that 14 percent of the generation belonged to "other" kinds of Christian churches.

Catholic identification was stable, with 20 percent of both Generation Y and Generation X choosing this faith. However, the number was down from 23 percent Catholic identification among baby boomers.

Generation Y members also were strongly religiously pluralistic -- only 7 percent said "all" their friends were of the same religion, and about 10 percent said they belonged to a non-Christian religion.

Previous studies of religion have indicated that young adulthood is often a time when religious interest drops. Federal data tracked by the Washington-based research group Child Trends shows that 12th-graders are less likely than eighth-graders to say that religion plays an important role in their lives. The trend is reflected in student attendance at weekly religious services.

Still, religious identity plays a significant role in the lives of Generation Y, Ms. Greenberg said yesterday. More than half said they regularly pray before meals, and a third or more said they talk about religion with friends, attend worship services and read religious materials every week.
The Reboot survey further found that Generation Y was "more liberal and progressive" than older generations, both in political leanings and on social issues such as homosexual "marriage" and immigration. Fifty-four percent of voters younger than 30 voted for Sen. John Kerry last year -- the only age group the Democratic presidential candidate carried, the study noted.

However, although many of these young Americans worry about getting good grades and finding work after school, their biggest concern is the solidly "moral" issue of nonmarital sex -- 35 percent of Generation Y members are "very worried" about "getting a sexually transmitted disease," the study noted.

Winds of Change in the Legislature?

2005-04-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

You don't need to be a weatherman to see how the winds are blowing for an influential Texas Republican.

It looks like years of abuse and corruption are finally catching up to Republican representative Tom Delay of Sugarland. If you live around the Houston area (or several other selected "markets" ) you may have noticed the ad criticizing Mr. Delay on local television. It features a rolex-clad man in a suit descend to a basement and feverishly trying to wash his hands. As this is going on the long litany of congressional investigations, indictments, ethics violations, and corruption charges that have plagued Congressman Delay are read aloud.

The huge number of ethics questions plaguing Mr. Delay have also appeared on the front page of the New York times at least six times within the last year. * The growing furor of Delay's fragrant abuse of power has so far not found an audience among Republicans, until now.

*This is a total guess

WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Christopher Shays said Sunday that fellow Republican Rep. Tom DeLay should step down as House majority leader because his continuing ethics problems are hurting the GOP.

"Tom's conduct is hurting the Republican Party, is hurting this Republican majority and it is hurting any Republican who is up for re-election," Shays told The Associated Press on Sunday.

DeLay, R-Texas, has been dogged in recent months by reports of possible ethics violations. There have been questions about his overseas travel, campaign payments to family members and his connections to lobbyists who are under investigation.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The No. 3 Republican in the Senate said Sunday that embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay needs to answer questions about his ethics and "let the people then judge for themselves."

Sen. Rick Santorum's comments seem to reflect the nervousness among congressional Republicans about the fallout from the increased scrutiny into DeLay's way of doing business.

Major Blow to Mexico's Hope for Democracy

2005-04-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Developing Story.....

The fucking bastard Fox (Bush's buddy south'o the border) has moved to jail Mexico City's popular leftist mayor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The congress has moved to strip his immunity in order for him to stand trial for a contempt of court violation in a minor land dispute. The dispute stems from the mayors building of a hospital road over a disputed plot of land. This action constitutes a very thinly veiled attempt to disqualify Lopez Obrador from running in the 2006 Mexican Presidential election. The popular leftist regularly comes out as much as 10 points ahead in opinion polls concerning the Presidency. The Mexican government no doubt hoped to minimize the impact of this move by undertaking it during the mourning period for Pope John Paul II. This has not stopped more than 150,000 protesters from taking to the streets of Mexico City in support of their mayor.

Below are several news reports concerning this story, more will be added as the situation develops.

A link to a BBC video showing the Mayor adressing protesters in Mexico City can be found here.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's Congress voted on Thursday to force the country's most popular politician to face trial, a move that could knock the leftist out of next year's presidential election, threatening political stability.

Deputies voted 360 to 127 to strip Mexico City mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's immunity from prosecution so he can be charged with contempt of court in a minor land dispute.

Lopez Obrador is now likely to be fired as mayor and go to jail pending trial. He would probably be banned from the race to replace President Vicente Fox at July, 2006 elections if found guilty.

President Vicente Fox's National Action Party joined forces with the main opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party to push out the mayor, an austere former Indian rights activist who vows to help Mexico's tens of millions of poor if elected.

He is accused of disobeyeing a judge's order in 2001 to halt work on a road to a hospital through a disputed plot of expropriated land on the outskirts of the city.

Lopez Obrador, extremely popular in Mexico City for his public works and welfare programs, heads opinion polls for the presidency, often by as much as 10 points.

His rise worries business leaders and some in Washington, wary of a leftist like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in charge of a country of 100 million people on the border with the United States.

The mayor has pledged to run his campaign from behind bars if need be, leading to months of political and legal wrangling that foreign investors fear could create a full-blown crisis.

"I am going to defend myself and I hope to count with the support of men and women of goodwill who believe in freedom, justice and democracy," he said in a speech to the deputies.

Leftist lawmakers shouted, "You are not alone."

[Source]

MEXICO CITY, April 7 (Reuters) - About 150,000 Mexicans poured into the streets on Thursday to support Mexico City's leftist mayor, who furiously decried a drive to knock him out of the 2006 presidential race as an assault on democracy.

Chanting protesters packed the capital's Zocalo, one of the world's biggest squares, in a sea of yellow balloons and homemade banners. Police helicopters hovered above but the mayor repeatedly ordered the crowd to be calm.

"We are about to see an attack against the democratic advances that have been won with so much sacrifice by the people of Mexico," Lopez Obrador said.

Mexico's most popular politician accused President Vicente Fox and business leaders of exploiting the minor legal charges to keep him from leading a "great movement of transformation ... for a new economy and new politics."

Described by critics as a populist like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Lopez Obrador promises to reduce the huge income gap in Mexico if he becomes president. Buoyed by the popularity of public works and welfare programs in Mexico City, he holds a double-digit lead in opinion polls for the 2006 vote.

The Mexico City crowd reflected Lopez Obrador's broad appeal, with indigenous women in bright red tunics and old men in business suits standing side by side. A man in a cage wearing a plastic mask resembling Fox was paraded through the square to shouts of "Burn him! Burn him!"

Just as the march was starting, Fox left on a plane to attend the pope's funeral in Italy.

Local media and observers estimated the crowd numbered about 150,000 people.

[Source]

Russia and the Joys of Capitalism

2005-04-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

In our infinite wisdom we have taken it upon ourselves to share the miraculous benefits of capitalism with our Russian friends. This might explain why the life expectancy of the Russian male went down a year annually for the first five years following the introduction of capitalism. What is the latest America-induced insanity to sweep Mother Russia? Frivolous lawsuits, read on.

Russian Court: 'Simpsons' OK for Kids

Who new Homer Simpson spoke Russian?

A Moscow court spent several days watching episodes of "The Simpsons" before rejecting claims the show is "morally degenerate" and could lead kids to drugs and violence. The court dismissed the lawsuit brought against a Russian TV station by a man who claimed the long-running comedy and another Fox animated series, "The Family Guy," had gotten his 6-year-old son interested in drugs and prompted him to call his mother a "toad."

Igor Smykov sued the station for about $12,000 after claiming that the two shows promoted violence, drug use and homosexuality.

He claimed that his son, Konstantin, asked him what cocaine was and then insulted his mother soon after watching episodes of the two shows.

The ruling came just weeks after Russian politicians said they wanted to introduce legislation that would brand "The Simpsons" as adult-only programming after a government report blamed the series for corrupting Russian school children.

If the legislation were to pass, Russian TV stations could be fined for airing "The Simpsons" during parts of the day when children are likely to watching television.

Source: NYPOST.COM

Mac Daddy

2005-03-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

McDonald's has offered to pay top hip hop artists to incorporate the 'Big Mac' into their song lyrics.

According to Advertising Age magazine, the fast food chain will pay rappers up to £2.80 ($5) every time a song namechecking the burger is played.

McDonald's said the US deal reflected the appeal of hip hop to young people.

However, critics said the tie-up was "deceptive" given that the songs would appeal to children, for whom obesity levels have become a major concern.

Food for thought

Similar marketing strategies have been used in the past to raise the profile of brands such as Bentley, Porsche, Gucci and Dom Perignon.

Artists who have 'referenced' well-known products include Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.

Each McDonald's market has the freedom to design programmes that best resonate with customers

Walt Riker, McDonald's

Advertising Age said that McDonald's would not pay an artist upfront but that they would be rewarded based on the airplay songs received in the United States.

The company will have the final say over the appropriate lyrics but the singers will retain artistic control over how they are incorporated into the track.

McDonalds said the initiative was in line with its 2003 global marketing campaign aimed at 18-34 year olds, which launched the slogan 'I'm loving it'.

"Each McDonald's market has the freedom within the 'I'm lovin' it framework' to design programmes that best resonate with customers, in this case a McDonald's USA concept designed to reach young adults through their music of choice," said spokesman Walt Riker.

"How it develops remains to be seen."

'Lip service'

The marketing plan was criticised by some consumer groups, which claimed that children would not be aware that the artists had been paid to promote the burger.

"Even as food companies pay lip service to the idea of responsible marketing, they increasingly turn to new and deceitful ways of targeting children," said Dr Susan Linn, co-founder of US group Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.

McDonald's and other fast food chains have faced criticism that they are helping to fuel an obesity epidemic, particularly among children.

The US company has taken steps to diversify its menu, offering a wider choice of salads and fruit.

It is also giving more nutritional information to customers and promoting a "balanced lifestyle" in some of its marketing.

Source: The BBC

20,000 Grams Under the Sea

2005-03-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Colombian police find drugs sub

Police in Colombia have uncovered a submarine, which they believe was built by drug smugglers to transport cocaine.

The nearly complete eight-metre fibreglass vessel, capable of carrying 10 tonnes of the drug, worth $200m, was found in the Pacific port of Tumaco.

Police had been monitoring its construction for six months.

They believe the Norte del Valle cartel, the last surviving Colombian drug trafficking organisation, planned to use it to smuggle drugs to the US.

Colombia's Department of Administrative Security says the submarine would have been used to evade radar and naval patrol ships, taking drugs out to sea where they could be transferred to high-speed motorboats for the journey to Central America and on to the United States.

[source]

Science Roundup

2005-03-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

If you have been watching the news lately, you have probably realized that Bush and friends really don't care for science. Since I really don't care for them, we are gonna drop science today.
(sorry for lack of orignal updates lately, there will be more in the future)

Ancient Behaviors Hard-Wired in Human Brain

by Robert Roy Britt

Don't blame your lame smile or lack of an intimidating frown on your upbringing, a new study suggests. Such behaviors may be hard-wired in your brain. Scientists know many behaviors of lower organisms are innate. Ants instinctively follow other ants to a picnic basket. Birds operate largely on autopilot, dogs less so.

In people and monkeys, however, behavior is largely something learned, so researchers have assumed our hard-wiring is limited. If that's true, however, why do many reactions, such as aggression, play out the same among diverse populations around the world?

Scientists announced Tuesday they can elicit complex behaviors by stimulating specific areas in the brain of a small primate called the bush baby. Similar studies have been done on other primates. "We have now seen this feature in the brain of an Old World monkey and New World prosimian," said study leader Jon Kaas of Vanderbilt University. "The fact that it appears in the brains of two such divergent primates suggests that this form of organization evolved very early in the development of primates. That, in turn, suggests that it is characteristic of all primate brains, including the human brain."The triggered behaviors include aggressive facial gestures, defensive arm movements, putting hand to mouth and other reaching and grasping movements -- all survival skills.

"These results explain why certain behaviors – such as defensive and aggressive movements, smiling and grasping food – are so similar around the world," Kaas said. "It is because the instructions for these movements are built-in and not learned."

The results are detailed in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[source]

Why Abstinence Only Sex-Education is Bullshit

Recently at A&M conservatives raised a huge shit-storm because someone was passing out free condoms. It has already been proven that abstinence only sex education was less effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy, no we have this

The Downside to Virginity Pledges

By LiveScience Staff

Young people who make pledges of virginity begin having sex later and have fewer sexual partners. But oddly they are infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) just as often, a new study found. One reason is that they are less likely to use condoms when the first enter the world of sex, scientists said.

Because virginity pledgers are less likely to use condoms compared to others, they increase their risk of contracting disease. They are also less likely to seek health care for an STD, according to Bruckner and colleague Peter Bearman, professor of sociology at Columbia University.

The pledgers, not diagnosed or treated, may pack disease longer than other people, the researchers say.

"If pledgers have infections for longer periods of time than non-pledgers, this is a reason for concern," said Bruckner.

Other findings in the study:

Among virgins -- those who have not had vaginal intercourse -- male pledgers are four times more likely to have anal sex

Male and female pledgers are six times more likely to have oral sex than non-pledgers.

[the last part is hilarious]

Fruity Pebbles... Get it?!?

2005-03-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

From Newsweek's Andy Borowitz, our new... uh... contributor.

Feb. 8 - The ongoing campaign against alleged gay icons in animated cartoons continued today as a newly formed conservative group demanded that television stations stop broadcasting "The Flintstones" at once.

Harland Devane, leader of the group Focus on the Flintstones, said at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today that his organization was issuing the demand because, "Quite simply, everything about 'The Flintstones' is way too gay."

The conservative activist distributed a memo itemizing over 50 ways in which the self-styled "modern Stone Age family" series promotes homosexuality, but left little doubt that most of his concerns centered on the relationship between the two main characters, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.

"Their relationship is more flagrantly homosexual than anything in Oliver Stone's 'Alexander,'" Devane said.

He pointed out that Fred and Barney are virtually inseparable, are never seen wearing pants and live together in the suggestively-named town of Bedrock.

He also noted that the two men work together at a quarry wearing hard hats and construction garb, an oblique reference to the construction worker in the classic disco band "The Village People."

"Do I believe they are gay icons?" Mr. Devane said. "I abba-dabba-do."

He added that Focus on the Flintstones' efforts will not stop at banning the cartoon series from U.S. television stations, telling reporters that the group is also "taking a close look" at Flintstone-related consumer products such as Flintstone vitamins and cereal.

"We are very uncomfortable with Fruity Pebbles," he said.

[Source]

Sharpen your Knives for the Second American Civil War

2005-03-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

It is widely believed that America has become more politically and culturally divided than ever before. Following our last two presidential elections with their "nut-hair thin" margins of victory Americans have temporarily abandoned their age-old apathy for politics. Unfortunately, this apathy has been replaced in most of us with a deep loathing for the roughly 50% of the electorate that voted for the party we are against

If you go to any bookstore in America this hyper-polarization is readily apparent. Gigantic promotional displays of Stupid White Men, Treachery, Deliver Us from Evil, and Bushwhacked are front and center competing for the consumer's attention. Just the mention of names like Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush has the ability to raise the blood pressure in a good majority of our population.

There is no political debate in America anymore, really. People are talking past each other as if they existed in parallel universes. If you were to listen to George W. Bush and Al Gore quote statistics back and forth in their debates, you would think they were talking about different countries. The American public does not benefit from this kind of 'debate.' The only thing apparent from this incoherence is that if both of them are saying such wildly conflicting things, then at LEAST one of them is a huge fucking liar.

The nightly news deals with the issues of our time by enlisting rival talking heads into giving 30 second soundbites. Some of the time they don't give both sides a voice on at all. The television networks are failing to inform the public about the important issues. And honestly, if the television doesn't inform Americans, who the fuck else is going to? Even though the internet is altering our political landscape, television still has an important hegemony on political debate in this country.

Political debate T.V. shows have degenerated into pairing two partisan extremist, either as guest or hosts. These pundits' jobs consists of trying to yell over each other for 30 minutes while twisting their opponent's words against them. At it's best we get Paul Begala's annoying wiseassery, at it's worst we have Bill O'Reilly turning off people's microphones as he screams at them to "shut up."

"Red and Blue states," the Ten Commandments, gays, Michael Moore, abortion, prayer in school, Fox News, these are the signposts of our current political landscape. There seems to be a gigantic rift growing right down the middle of American society. It is something we need to think about. Over the next couple weeks I am going to be posting more updates on this theme. Hopefully, these will generate some comments and ideas about what our current political divide means, and how we can get over it.

Don't Buy From Me Argentina

2005-03-10T14:10:00.000-08:00

President tells Argentines to boycott Shell

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - President Nestor Kirchner has told Argentines to boycott Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell for hiking its gasoline prices this week.

As Kirchner lashed out at Shell for the second day for fuelling inflation, militant unemployed picketers that support Kirchner said they would occupy Shell stations in the capital.

"Argentines should not buy from them, they have to say: 'No to Shell,'" Kirchner said on Thursday at an event to give schoolchildren smocks.

"Let's unite and not even buy a can of oil from them," he added. "May they realize that Argentines no longer put up with this. A national boycott is the best thing the people can do."

[Source]

This could be interesting, it is nice to see someone standing up to Big Energy. The real treat will be to see how the occupation of Shell facillities turns out. Argentina has the combination of desperation and balls to actually make this something to watch. There is still plenty of desperate poverty from where their economy tanked and they defaulted on all their loans three years ago. It was the biggest sovereign debt default in modern history. On the other hand, they have Nestor Kirchner as President, who "cut his political teeth in the Peronist left-wing and was imprisoned for a short time during the 1976-83 military dictatorship." [BBC] (I highly recommend the link on Peronism to give a sense of the 'left-wing' interpretation of it, for another interpretation, try this)

The Argentines are buoyed by closing the deal on the largest and most sucessful debt swap in the history of man. The country is also likely to find support in the newly formed South American Community of Nations. This assualt on Shell is pretty obviously related to Argentina signing a $240 million dollar oil-for-food deal with oil rich Venezuela. This is doubly fun because the president of Venezuela is a left-wing radical, Hugo Chavez. It also turns out that "President Chavez is an ardent promoter of the concept of a South American oil company, which could include the state-owned companies of Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia." [BBC]

I think if they could pull something like this off, it would seriously fuck up Bush's world. We are incredibly dependent on Venezuelan oil, and to boot lefty Chavez is allready on Bush's shitlist. It infuriates George that Chavez got democratically elected, and THEN survived the US backed military coup AND recall referendum. Also it is encouraging that with a leftist radical president Venezuela posted a 17.3% GDP growth rate this year. Even if it is due to the US's obscene dependence on foreign oil, that just gives him all the more leverage.

Darwin Days

2005-03-08T20:50:00.000-08:00

Those of us holding reservations in hell are intimately familiar with Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. One of the most interesting byproducts of the evolutionary process is the phenomena of vestigial organs. Those are those nice little organs that have long outlived their biological purpose, like tits on a boar hog. Today the good people at Live Science are going to take us on a magical journey through The Top Ten Vestigial Organs.

Russian forces say they have killed Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov.

2005-03-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

There is no independent confirmation of the death, which reportedly came during a Russian special forces operation inside the breakaway Russian republic.

Mr Maskhadov was elected Chechen president in January 1997 but was ousted two years later when Russia sent troops to quell an independence drive.

Source: The BBC

First Post Baby!!

2005-03-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

First post here we come. I thought I would just share an inspiring newspaper article about how terrorist failed to derail an important election.

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote:
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror

by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 — United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.
Pending more detailed reports, neither the State Department nor the White House would comment on the balloting or the victory of the military candidates, Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu, who was running for president, and Premier Nguyen Cao Ky, the candidate for vice president.

A successful election has long been seen as the keystone in President Johnson's policy of encouraging the growth of constitutional processes in South Vietnam. The election was the culmination of a constitutional development that began in January, 1966, to which President Johnson gave his personal commitment when he met Premier Ky and General Thieu, the chief of state, in Honolulu in February.

The purpose of the voting was to give legitimacy to the Saigon Government, which has been founded only on coups and power plays since November, 1963, when President Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown by a military junta.

Few members of that junta are still around, most having been ousted or exiled in subsequent shifts of power.

Significance Not Diminished

The fact that the backing of the electorate has gone to the generals who have ruling South Vietnam for the last two years does not, in the Administration's view, diminish the significance of the constitutional step that has been taken.

The hope here is that the new government will be able to maneuver with a confidence and legitimacy long lacking in South Vietnamese politics. That hope could have been dashed either by a small turnout, indicating widespread scorn or a lack of interest in constitutional development, or by the Vietcong's disruption of the balloting.

American officials had hoped for an 80 per cent turnout. That was the figure in the election in September for the Constitutional Assembly. Seventy-eight per cent of the registered voters went to the polls in elections for local officials last spring.

Before the results of the presidential election started to come in, the American officials warned that the turnout might be less than 80 per cent because the polling places would be open for two or three hours less than in the election a year ago. The turnout of 83 per cent was a welcome surprise. The turnout in the 1964 United States Presidential election was 62 per cent.

Captured documents and interrogations indicated in the last week a serious concern among Vietcong leaders that a major effort would be required to render the election meaningless. This effort has not succeeded, judging from the reports from Saigon.

[Source]
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